Honda NSX makes track debut

Honda has confirmed it will showcase a prototype NSX at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, ahead of the Indy 200 Indycar Series race in early August.

The prototype NSX, due for launch in 2015, will lap the road course before the race gets underway, giving the people of Ohio - and whoever else is watching - a glimpse of what could be one of the most exciting cars of this decade.

We last saw the NSX at the Detroit Motor Show in January. The development prototype retains the concept's pointy face, and is fitted with the production vehicle's hybrid drivetrain. There are even custom graphics, and you'll agree that it looks suitably Iron Man­-ish. Fitting, considering Tony Stark drove one in The Avengers...

Despite the hybrid drivetrain, this is no Prius. The rear-wheels are powered by a conventional V6 - most likely a 3.5-litre with around 400bhp - and each front wheel has its own electric motor.

Plus, there's an additional electric motor in the dual-clutch gearbox for KERS-style power boosts. The electric motors should add another 100bhp or so to the powertrain, bringing the total up to 500bhp. This is a nice, meaty figure.